Fightmaster earns win as Tigers beat Emmanuel 2-1 in pool play

Author: Nick Birkey
Posted: Friday, May 17, 2013 at 9:21 AM

MASON, Ohio — The Tigers used another great pitching
performance to give them a chance at victory. This time, the Olivet Nazarene
University baseball team took advantage and got the win. In the Tigers’ lone
game on Thursday, May 16, they only needed two runs (2-1) to defeat the No. 7-seeded
Emmanuel College (Ga.) Lions to move to 2-1 in pool play.

For ONU (34-20), junior Jonathan
Fightmaster (Bourbonnais, Ill.) (7-5) started his 13th game of
the season for the Tigers and went six innings, allowing one run off seven
hits while striking out five. Kevin
Lasowski (Schererville, Ind.) (11) came in the seventh inning and recorded
the last three outs for his 11th save of the year.

For Emmanuel (32-25), Mark Shevock (6-6) pitched a complete
game, allowing two runs off seven hits while striking out five.

In the first inning, both pitchers had things going well as
both lineups went down in order. In the top of the second, ONU used two walks by
Ryan Kern (Bloomington, Ill.) and Matt Davenport (Swayzee, Ind.) to put a
runner in scoring position for Josh
Altmann (Homer Glen, Ill.). He singled to bring home Kern for the first run
of the game. In the second and fourth innings, Emmanuel threatened with a bases
loaded opportunity in their second at-bat, but a double play ended the inning.
In the fourth, Sam Buczek was thrown out at home by relay from Justin Fahy (Fargo, N.D.) to Kern to
Davenport. In the Tigers’ sixth, they started with Kern and Davenport singles. A
sac bunt advanced the runners, and Altmann grounded out on a fielder’s choice on
the next at-bat to make it 2-0 when Stefan
Sauder (Morton, Ill.) scored. The Lions had two runners on in the bottom of
the sixth, but Fightmaster struck out Grillo to end the inning. In the seventh, ONU didn’t threaten, but in the Lions last at-bat, they loaded the bases with no
outs. Delgado lined out for a sacrifice to make it 2-1, but Lasowski struck out
Beard and got Granda to ground out and end the game.

Josh Altmann batted in the only two runs for the Tigers,
finishing the day 2-for-3. Dan Schneider went 2-for-4, and Ryan Kern and Stefan
Sauder scored the Tiger runs.

For Emmanuel, Sam Buczek went 2-for-4, and Alex Delgado went
1-for-3 with one RBI. Chandler Moore scored the lone run for the Lions.

The Tigers finish pool play at 1 p.m. (EST) against No. 10-seeded
Covenant College (Ga.).